Summary
Study shows telehealth is as effective as in-person visits for palliative care, maintaining quality of life and survival rates while improving access to care for seriously ill patients.
A new study shows that telehealth, which means getting medical care through video calls or phone calls, can be just as good as in-person visits for people with serious illnesses. This study looked at palliative care, which is a type of care that helps people feel better when they have a serious illness.
The researchers studied 1,252 patients who were getting palliative care. Some patients had their appointments in person, while others had them through telehealth. The study wanted to see if there was any difference in how well the patients felt or how long they lived.
The results showed that both groups of patients had about the same quality of life. This means that whether they saw their doctors in person or through a video call, they felt about the same. The patients who used telehealth even reported slightly less pain than those who had in-person visits.
One important finding was that patients who used telehealth were able to have more appointments with their doctors. This might be because it’s easier to do a video call than to travel to a doctor’s office, especially for people who are very sick.
The study also found that patients who used telehealth lived just as long as those who had in-person visits. This is important because it shows that telehealth doesn’t put patients at risk.
These findings are really good news, especially for people who live far from hospitals or have trouble traveling. It means they can get the care they need without having to make difficult trips.
The researchers think that telehealth could be a great option for palliative care in the future. It could help more people get the care they need, no matter where they live. However, they also say that more research is needed to make sure telehealth works well for all types of patients and situations.
